A Little Less Speculation, A Little More Action
by TangerineSummer
Summary: Kyoya is constantly writing in his notebook; the twins decide they want to know what exactly he writes in it. When Haruhi is thrown into the scheme, she finds out a lot more about Kyoya than she ever could have imagined. Main pairing: Kyoya/Tamaki
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello all. This is my first attempt at an Ouran High School Host Club fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy it! Please read and review. All reviews are extremely appreciated!! Thanks in advance! ^.^

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or anything affiliated with it. If I did, we'd already have a season 2 by now. :P

CHAPTER ONE:

"Do you ever wonder what exactly he's writing in that thing?"

Upon hearing his voice—dripping, as always, with dangerous mischief—I turned my glance from my book to Hikaru. He stood with his arm around Kaoru's waist; both boys were watching Kyoya Senpai from a distance, with looks of curiosity and sly smiles on their faces.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked, not entirely sure if I truly wanted to know the answer.

Hikaru turned around to face me and grinned. "Well, don't _you_ ever wonder what Kyoya Senpai writes in that notebook of his?"

Kaoru added, "He seems to always be writing in it, even when there's no data or important notes to record. It's weird."

I shrugged. "It's his business, and it doesn't affect me, so I don't really care."

"Aw, come on, Haruhi!" Hikaru exclaimed. "You can't be that objective all the time. You must wonder!"

"Curiosity is just a part of human nature," Kaoru finished.

Now I looked over to Kyoya Senpai, who was—as predicted—still jotting down words in his notebook, his hands moving across the pages like speedy, slender bolts of lightning. I had to admit it was strange. At the present moment, nothing much was happening at the club. We had not yet opened for business—we had at least fifteen more minutes until our clients showed up—so, we actually had a little down time. I chose to catch up on homework, while Tamaki Senpai set up some final decorations for our guests. Honey Senpai and Mori Senpai were having their own private tea party with Usa-chan. The twins…well, they were observing Kyoya Senpai. And Kyoya Senpai? Writing in that notebook of his. Writing about what? What was there to record at the moment?

"You think it's some kind of diary?" Kaoru offered.

Hikaru contemplated the idea. "It could be. I bet if we actually got to read it, we'd find out a whole lot about Kyoya Senpai."

"He's always been so mysterious," Kaoru said. "The boss is the only one who seems to really know him."

"And we're always in the dark. It's not fair," Hikaru agreed.

"Hey, wait, guys!" I said quickly. "Before you think of doing anything stupid, like stealing it from him or something, think about this: maybe it just has future plans for club events and activities. Those will all be revealed to us in due time; we don't need to know about them at the moment. Or maybe it just has a lot of technical stuff about the club. Financial records, you know, that sort of thing; I'm sure none of us really want to read about that. And finally, maybe it is a diary."

The twins smiled. "So, you do think it could be a diary, Haruhi?" they asked in unison.

"Well, maybe. But if it was, the worst thing we could do is steal it and read it! How would you feel if someone knew all your private thoughts and feelings?"

Hikaru offered, "We already let the club in on our thoughts and feelings."

Kaoru added, "They know of our battle between friendship and love."

"They know of our childhood traumas, our dependency on one another, our social anxiety…"

"They know a lot about us. Not everything, of course. But enough."

"But what do _we_ know about Kyoya Senpai? Besides his boring, clichéd father issues?"

I pondered it for a moment. "Well, maybe we don't know much about him. But that doesn't give us the right to invade his privacy."

Hikaru laughed heartily. "Wow, you're such a prude, Haruhi!" He then tightened his grasp around Kaoru's waist and looked him in the eyes. "Come on, Kaoru. We don't need this stick in the mud to help us get that notebook." The two smiled and began approaching Kyoya Senpai.

"Guys, knock it off! Don't do anything stupid," I warned, but it was hopeless. I knew once they had made up their minds about something, they were going to carry it out fully. I rose from my seat and caught up with them as they reached Kyoya Senpai.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi. How may I help you?" Kyoya Senpai asked, without taking his eyes or pen off his notebook.

Hikaru immediately answered, "Your dad is here, Senpai. He said he needs to talk to you."

Kyoya Senpai's storm-colored eyes widened at the mention of his father. "What the hell is he doing here?" he said, more to himself than to us.

Hikaru and Kaoru shrugged. "I don't know, but we saw him downstairs. Near the auditorium. He asked us to get you for him," the two said in that perfect unison that sometimes really frightened me.

"I didn't see you two leave the room," Kyoya Senpai said, suspicious.

"We just went to the bathroom. You were too focused on that silly notebook of yours to be paying attention, I guess," Hikaru said.

Kyoya Senpai looked uncertain, but he slowly put his notebook down on a nearby table and began leaving the room. Tamaki Senpai immediately looked over to him, concerned. "Kyoya, where are you going? The guests will be arriving any minute."

Kyoya Senpai answered, "I'll be back in time. Don't worry, Tamaki."

Tamaki Senpai nodded, but he continued to look worried. Although Kyoya Senpai kept an emotionless expression on his face, Tamaki Senpai could read what was behind it and know that his friend was upset. He looked as if he would go after Kyoya Senpai to ensure he was all right, but the Shadow King had already made his way out the door.

Hikaru and Kaoru grinned, satisfied with their work. They each put one hand on the notebook Kyoya Senpai left behind and opened it. "Okay. Let's see what this baby says."

I attempted to protest for a final time. "Guys, this is so wrong. I'll tell Tamaki Senpai if you don't stop."

"Ooh, you'll go running to Daddy, will you?" Hikaru chuckled.

Kaoru looked up at me and smiled. "Haruhi, the first paragraph on this page is all about you."

"It is?"

Kaoru nodded. "I bet there's some juicy stuff in here. You sure you don't want to know what Kyoya Senpai really thinks of you?"

I contemplated it. I knew it was wrong, but I had to admit I was curious. Sometimes I got the impression that Kyoya Senpai disliked me; other times I wondered if he liked me as more than a friend. I kind of wanted to know which it was. "Well…I guess I wouldn't mind knowing…just so I can…"

"Say no more!" Hikaru said happily. "Come sit on my lap and we'll all read it together."

I narrowed my eyes. "In your dreams. I'll pull up a chair." I took a stool from nearby and sat on it, craning my neck to read Kyoya Senpai's writing. And once this was accomplished, what I saw written in beautiful handwriting and shadowy ink on the porcelain page shocked me more than I could have imagined.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you, everyone, for your reviews and story alerts! I really appreciate it, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story! And please read and review, of course. All reviews are extremely loved!! Thanks in advance! :D

CHAPTER TWO:

Hikaru read it aloud to us, quietly. "'Today Haruhi simply would not shut up about that party last night, about how it was a waste of time and she didn't want to be there in the first place. Tamaki and the twins seemed to think her harangues were the epitome of cuteness. I cannot see why. I cannot express how tired I am of hearing that girl complain. She acts as if she wants nothing to do with the club, but the truth is that we're good friends to her, and without us, she wouldn't have any friends. She acts as if the club is the heaviest burden she could carry, as if we are all beneath her because we are of a higher class than her. It's ironic. Maybe even amusing, in its own way. The worst part is that when she actually stops acting like a downer, she can actually be rather nice. I know she's capable of better than she offers us. But for every pleasant moment she partakes in, there are five more unpleasant moments to cancel them out."

The twins stopped reading and looked up at me, waiting for my reaction. I'm sure my expression must have been blank because I really didn't know how to feel. I took a deep breath and thought about what I had just read. Did Kyoya Senpai hate me? He often acted less than friendly around me, he never swooned over me like the other boys in the club, but I never knew he was _this_ irritated by me. And to think I actually speculated he may have been romantically interested in me. So, I asked myself, should I feel angry? A little. Sad? Sure. Enlightened? "I guess maybe I do complain a lot, and sometimes I can be a little hard on you guys," I said quietly. "Maybe it does get on everyone's nerves."

The twins appeared ready to speak but then Tamaki Senpai interrupted. "Hikaru, Kaoru, can you please set the table for our guests?"

"Okay, boss," Kaoru replied before looking to Hikaru. "I guess we'll have to pull a different trick later so we can read more."

"Seems like it. I'll start thinking one up while I get the silverware."

The two closed the notebook and left it on the table before walking away. I eyed it and felt compelled to open it once more, despite the guilt in my stomach inflating with each passing moment. After the paragraph about me was one about the twins. In short, Kyoya Senpai thought that they needed to learn to channel their rebelliousness and energetic curiosity into productive pursuits; he thought that they needed to learn resourcefulness and shrewdness were more valuable versions of manipulation and sneakiness.

The next paragraph was about Honey Senpai and Mori Senpai. He didn't have much to say about them, at least today. He did make a comment about how he currently was worried that the cost of buying cakes for Honey was slowly but surely making the club spiral into a small debt.

The paragraph after that was about Renge. He said he admired her business tactics, her drive for success…and well…some _other_ things about her. His description of her was surprisingly, well, _descriptive_, and my cheeks felt as if a match had been lit across them. I never knew Kyoya Senpai had it in him to write with such licentious sentiment; he always seemed so distanced from the human weaknesses of lust and sexual desire. I finally got to the end of the paragraph, where he admitted that he was slightly displeased that Renge had taken a liking to me. But then he wrote something curious: "In the end, though, it wouldn't really matter if Renge had stayed in love with me or not."

I contemplated this for a moment, not sure what to think. I supposed maybe he found her physically attractive but that her personality was a little to much for him to handle.

I then predicted that there would be one paragraph following Renge's about Tamaki Senpai since everyone else had been covered. I was actually very curious to see what Kyoya Senpai would say about Tamaki Senpai, what his true, unfiltered thoughts about his best friend were. He often _acted_ as if he thought Tamaki Senpai was an idiot, but I had a feeling it was just that: acting.

But I was wrong. There wasn't one paragraph about Tamaki Senpai; there were _fifteen_ paragraphs. Or, in other words, about five pages.

The first of the fifteen read like this: 'Tamaki just looked my way again. His eyes today appear to be deeper hue of lavender than usual. Damn him. Why does he have to look so beautiful all the time? Is it possible for him to ever look less than flawless?'

Before reading on, I tried to process this information. Were these words of jealousy?

'But he's not just beautiful on the outside. No, of course not. He has the most beautiful heart I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing the kindness and warmth of.'

I smiled. It was surprising and nice to see Kyoya Senpai say something sweet like that. And it was true.

'Today is our Royalty-Themed Event, and Tamaki is clad as a king. Predictable,' the notebook read. 'He looks so warm and comfortable in that heavy, velvet dressing gown of his. I wish I could be wrapped up in it with him.' My eyes widened. Now where was this going exactly? 'He used to snuggle me all the time when we were younger, wrapping his legs around my torso and shaking me silly. I acted so exasperated, but he must have known I loved it. So what happened? He hasn't touched me in what feels like forever, and I can't take it anymore. Does he think we're too old for such activities now? Or is he just too obsessed with that Haruhi girl? He touches her all the time. He's always so affectionate with her, the way he used to be with me. She's replaced me. Why? Why does he like her? I'm the perfect match for him. I'm his best friend, his confidant, his other half, his soulmate. Why the hell can't he see that?'

As I read on, his thoughts became more scattered. 'He looked at me again just now. Why does he keep looking over here? Gosh, he looks so damn cute in that king's outfit! I'm in LOVE LOVE.' So _he_ was the one who came up with that quaint little phrase. 'I am. I must be. But I'll never be able to tell him. I'm just too scared, and I'll never get over this fear.'

Before reading on, I had to pause and think. I never knew Kyoya Senpai could write this way. So…passionately. So lovey-dovey. Without his usual coldness, without his usual formalities. And I never could have guessed he would be writing this way about Tamaki Senpai.

"Haruhi. What are you doing?"

I gasped and snapped the notebook shut instinctively. I looked to my side and saw Kyoya Senpai standing there, looking as if he was just about ready to send in the Otori Family Police to have me arrested and tortured. "Kyoya Senpai. I was just…"

"You were reading my notebook? Why would you do a thing like that?"

I had no answer. I didn't know why I did it. I knew it was wrong, and yet I continued to penetrate Kyoya Senpai's mind through my invasion of his privacy. "I'm sorry, Senpai," I whispered sadly. It was inadequate, but it was all I could come up with.

Kyoya Senpai's eyes shone with the fire of untainted fury, but before he could speak, guests began walking into Music Room #3 in flocks. Kyoya Senpai's expression then immediately transmogrified into one of calm happiness and charming willingness to serve the beautiful girls who approached him.

"Mademoiselle, how may I help you today?" Kyoya Senpai asked one of his fair maidens.

"Oh, Kyoya, you look so simply adorable in that Queen Outfit! You and Tamaki match perfectly!"

Upon hearing this, I took Kyoya Senpai's notebook and hide it in my book bag before ambling away and sitting down at a table across from some girls who requested me.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you all for reading and an extra thank you to my reviewers! I hope you enjoy, and it'd be really great for me as a writer to hear your thoughts/questions/comments, so your reviews and feedback would be much appreciated!

CHAPTER THREE:

When the club closed for business a few hours later, I went into the dressing room. My dad was taking me out that night to a new little burger joint near our house; to him, this was a glamorous event and he expected me to dress "right". So, that morning, he demanded that I pack a pretty dress in my book bag so I could get changed right after the club closed and meet him over at the restaurant.

However, I should have known—with everything that went down that day—that the club's activities had not truly ended, at least for me. And I was right. In the dressing room, I began to unbutton my jacket when Kyoya-senpai suddenly opened the curtain.

"Kyoya-senpai!" I exclaimed, embarrassed and angry. "I'm changing in here! That's why it's called a changing room!"

"You violated my privacy; now I'm violating yours. It's only fair, really," he said calmly, pushing his falling glasses up.

"Senpai, I didn't mean to do what I did. I…I really am sorry."

Continuing to speak in a voice altogether too cool and collected for the situation, Kyoya-senpai said, "What I'm especially curious about is where you got the idea to do it, Haruhi. It doesn't really seem like something you'd partake in."

"It was Hikaru and Kaoru who came up with it. I protested it at first, but…"

"Your curiosity got the better of you," he finished correctly.

I nodded, ashamed. For a moment, we stood in silence, neither sure where to go with the conversation. Then Kyoya-senpai spoke up once more. "How much did you read?"

"Just a few pages."

"You saw what I said about you. And Tamaki."

"Yes."

He nodded, trying to process the information. "I'm sorry you had to read my hurtful comments about you. But you were the one who chose to read them despite proper morality telling you not to, so my apology is actually unwarranted."

"Senpai, I'm glad I read it." He looked over to me, surprised. "I think it's true. I can be a downer sometimes."

"That's right."

"But…I'm not _always _a pessimist, -senpai." I took a deep breath, a bit scared to introduce the next subject of discussion. "For example, I think…I think if you told Tamaki-senpai how you felt…I think it would work out."

Kyoya-senpai shook his head and crossed his arms over his torso. "You're a foolish girl, Haruhi."

"Why? Why is it so foolish?"

"Tamaki happens to be obsessed with girls. If you couldn't tell."

I narrowed my eyes. "I could tell. I'm not that stupid." I softened my tone a bit as I continued. "But just because he's obsessed with girls doesn't mean he couldn't fall in love with a boy. Sexuality is more complex than the two extremes of straight and gay, you know."

"Oh, I know. I know all too well."

I hesitated. I thought about what he wrote about Renge and the way he behaved around the girls who visited him. Sometimes he offered fake romance to them, but other times I could tell it was genuine. And I thought about what he wrote about Tamaki-senpai. "Have you ever told Tamaki-senpai that you're bisexual?"

Kyoya-senpai began to chuckle, and it creeped me out. "Haruhi, you don't understand. You see, _I _know sexuality is complex. But Tamaki can be an idiot, as I'm sure you know. He has a black-and-white view of the world; I'm not sure he even knows what bisexuality is."

"Why don't you explain it to him then? If there's one thing anyone could say about Tamaki-senpai, it's that he has an open heart. You know he believes true strength means being who you truly are, so what makes you think he'll judge you based on your sexuality?"

Kyoya-senpai sighed. "I don't know. But besides, it's not Tamaki's judgment I fear the most."

I began to understand more clearly. "Your father…?"

"Yes. My father. My business contacts. My peers. Japan," Kyoya-senpai said. "Can you imagine what would happen if I began dating another male? I would be forced to bid goodbye to any chance of becoming the heir to the Otori Group, and those chances are already slim as they are. The last thing I need is a scandal."

"Well, is becoming the heir really the most important thing to you?"

"It has to be," Kyoya-senpai answered flatly.

I wasn't convinced. "So then this thing with Tamaki-senpai…it's just a fleeting crush?"

Kyoya-senpai hesitated and closed his eyes for a moment, as if meditating. "No, it's not a fleeting crush."

I attempted to use reverse psychology: "Well, then what? It can't be love. I mean, if care more about your business…it can't be love."

Kyoya-senpai looked away, ebony tresses falling across his forehead. He said nothing more, but I wasn't quite finished. "Senpai, I know you're concerned with what others think of you, but you should think long and hard about what's really important to you. Besides, in the long run, it only matters what you think of yourself anyway."

Kyoya-senpai smiled slightly. "You're just full of sappy adages, aren't you?"

Smiling, I replied, "I guess maybe I am."

Kyoya-senpai paused. "It's nice to see you smile. You should try it more often."

I chuckled. "I think I will. And I think you should tell Tamaki-senpai how you feel. I'm forced to hide certain aspects about myself because of my debt, but you have the opportunity to free yourself from hiding…"

"And you start complaining about the club again. Figures."

"Sorry. It's just…you can't let your fear stop you from pursuing the things and people you really want. You could open people's minds to new ideas if only you would be brave enough to try. Maybe you could even help your father expand his mind. Maybe all of Japan. People will never understand non-mainstream concepts if they have no one courageous enough to stand up for the concepts and actually explain them."

Putting his hand to his forehead in an annoyed manner, Kyoya-senpai said, "Haruhi, I've had quite enough of this speech of yours. I would just like my notebook back now."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have it."

"What?"

From outside the dressing room, we heard Tamaki-senpai's smooth voice calling. "Kyoya! Can you come out here please?" He paused. "I think we need to talk."

Kyoya-senpai looked to me with pure shock, incredulousness, and mounting ire. And I smiled innocently.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you so much to all my readers and a big, extra thank-you to my reviewers! I really appreciate all your feedback, and I hope you all continue to enjoy, read, and review! =^.^=

Oh, and Renge has a special announcement to make: This time TangerineSummer will be awarding each reviewer a special, Ouran-related prize! XD You could win anything from an exclusive copy of Kyoya's notebook to a weekend touring France with the Hitachiin brothers! So get those reviews in and get a once-in-a-lifetime award! :D

CHAPTER FOUR:

I watched from the changing room as Kyoya-senpai slowly and nervously approached Tamaki-senpai, who was sitting behind his desk, still dressed like a king. Kyoya-senpai stuttered nervously, "Y-yes, T-tamaki?" I had never heard him utter a sentence in such a tone, in a way less than impeccably proper and cool.

Tamaki-senpai held the notebook in his hand and closed it. "This is quite a page turner, Kyoya."

A few globules of sweat cascaded down Kyoya-senpai's forehead. Another first for me to witness. He didn't speak but instead waited for further comment from Tamaki-senpai.

And that comment was: "But I don't like what I read here."

Kyoya-senpai hesitated and tried to process what he had just heard. "You don't."

"Not at all. For one club member to feel this way about another sickens me, Kyoya!"

Obviously completely unaware of what to say for once in his life, Kyoya-senpai stuttered, "I-I'm sorry, Tamaki. I…"

"Haruhi _is_ cute, and for you to say she's unpleasant makes my blood boil!"

With widened eyes, Kyoya-senpai quickly took the notebook from Tamaki-senpai's hands and looked through it. All the pages about Tamaki-senpai were gone, cut out and hidden safely in my book bag. Kyoya-senpai looked calmer now, realizing that I would never reveal his secret to Tamaki-senpai myself; I just thought he needed a little push in the right direction.

But before Kyoya-senpai could truly breathe a sigh of relief, Tamaki-senpai put a hand on his shoulder and stared into his eyes in a very serious and passionate manner. "All of the host club's members should like each other, Kyoya. For you to view Haruhi the way you do is against that principle."

"Well, actually, I don't dislike Haruhi anymore. In fact, we may have formed a bit of a friendship today."

Tamaki-senpai looked surprised and then smiled widely. He jumped upon Kyoya-senpai and began shaking him back and forth giddily. Just like Kyoya-senpai had been missing! And that was something Tamaki-senpai never did to me. I mean, maybe he was smart enough to figure out I was too small to handle it, or maybe it was something else. You could never really tell with that idiot, after all.

"Oh, Kyoya, I knew you would! I knew you'd work something out! You just don't have hate in your heart, do you, mon cher?"

Kyoya-senpai didn't bother pretending to be annoyed by Tamaki-senpai's burst of affection. He instead smiled and returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around Tamaki-senpai right back. He stopped Tamaki-senpai from shaking him and instead just held him in an embrace. Tamaki senpai looked surprised, but he didn't seem to realize just what a big step Kyoya-senpai had just taken by such an unabashed display of affection. Instead, Tamaki-senpai merely laughed with childlike delight and—after a few moments—jumped down from Kyoya-senpai, somehow gracefully.

Judging by his expression, Kyoya-senpai realized that Tamaki-senpai hadn't quite understood what Kyoya-senpai was attempting to say through this gesture, and as I had hoped, Kyoya-senpai wasn't ready to let that be the end of the discussion. "You know, Tamaki, I think your principle about this club is right. We should all like each other. It's the most effective path to a sustaining happy—and therefore more successful—club."

"Exactly!" Tamaki-senpai exclaimed as he sat down behind his desk once again, beginning to flip through some catalogues of costumes so he could find the perfect ones for our medieval event next week.

"And I do like Haruhi now. I like Hikaru and Kaoru. I like Honey. I like Mori. I like Renge."

"Good to hear that, Kyoya!"

"And I _love_ you."

Tamaki-senpai looked up at this point, his lilac eyes shining under the chandelier. He then smiled. "I love you too, Kyoya." His voice sounded too casual, and Kyoya-senpai knew then that—as he expected—the blond-haired fool still had no idea what he was talking about.

As Tamaki-senpai began browsing through the catalogues again, Kyoya-senpai got on his knees so he could face Tamaki-senpai eye to eye from across the desk. Even though I was watching from quite a distance, I could see the look of love in his eyes as he gazed at Tamaki-senpai. It was a new look for Kyoya-senpai, too. He was always able to emit charm and romance from his eyes when he was entertaining our guests, but _this_ look was something different. Something more akin to pure love. Real. Passionate. Vulnerable.

"No, Tamaki. I mean…" Kyoya began, as he gently put his hand Tamaki-senpai's chin and brought his face in closer. "I _love_ you." Tamaki-senpai's expression still read innocent cluelessness, so Kyoya-senpai sighed and had to be as unsubtle as he could be.

As their lips met, I decided it was only appropriate for me to close the curtain and look away. As much as I would have liked to witness the epic moment, I had invaded Kyoya-senpai's privacy quite enough for the day and had to be respectful.

Unfortunately for Kyoya-senpai, I didn't need to keep the curtain closed for long. The kiss had only lasted a few seconds before Tamaki-senpai pushed Kyoya-senpai away from him. As soon as heard Tamaki-senpai's voice, I opened the curtain and peeked out from it again.

"Kyoya, what are you doing?" he exclaimed as his entire face and body turned pasty white and dark blue lines streaked across both.

"I just thought…"

"You're a host! You like girls!" Tamaki screamed before Kyoya-senpai could get a word in edgewise.

Kyoya-senpai stepped back, attempting to remain composed. "You're right. I do like girls."

In a voice that had raised an entire octave, Tamaki-senpai questioned, "Then what…what was this?"

"Have you never heard of bisexuality, you moron?"

"'Bisexuality'?" Tamaki-senpai sounded like he was a mere baby learning how to talk.

Kyoya-senpai chuckled slightly, almost evilly. Was he enjoying this? If I were him, I'd have been pretty darn nervous right about now, but he just smiled, collected and confident. "For me at least, it means I can be attracted to and fall in love with both girls and boys, depending on the individual. For the falling in love part, it's about who they are inside. Of course, good looks don't hurt matters at all, but basically, gender is irrelevant to me."

The color finally returned to Tamaki-senpai as he began to calm down, though it was obvious he was still completely bewildered inside. Kyoya-senpai waited for a few minutes, trying to let Tamaki-senpai understand what he had just learned. Finally, Kyoya-senpai continued, "So, do you…do you think you may be bisexual, Tamaki? And if so, do you think you could…possibly, by any chance…reciprocate my feelings for you?"

Wow. Kyoya-senpai moved quickly once he actually decided on a path to travel by. I had a sinking feeling that those questions had been asked much too soon, but I couldn't do anything about it. All I could do is wait anxiously for Tamaki-senpai's response right along with Kyoya-senpai, who didn't seem so cool anymore. His exterior began to once again express the ponderous and tense emotions that I'm sure were tied in a tight knot in the pit of his own stomach.

Tamaki-senpai looked up from his desk and met Kyoya-senpai's eyes. He then blushed, turned away, and stood up from his desk. His back faced Kyoya-senpai and his voice was panicked. "Kyoya, can I have some more time to process all this?! I mean…this is all so…this is all moving so fast! I don't even really understand…I mean, I understand, I guess, but…"

"Of course. That's perfectly reasonable. This is probably extremely confusing right now. For everyone involved, to be sure," Kyoya-senpai offered, attempting to hide his embarrassment. "Take all the time you need, Tamaki."

Tamaki-senpai remained with his back turned to Kyoya-senpai as he took a heavy breath. "Thank you. I'll get back to you as soon as I have this all…sorted out," Tamaki-senpai assured, sounding more distant and formal with Kyoya-senpai than I'd ever heard him sound before. I wondered what that meant.

Kyoya-senpai then bowed slightly before his king and began to leave Music Room #3. "I'll be waiting."

After Kyoya-senpai left the room, Tamaki-senpai slowly turned around and took a seat at his desk. "What the hell was that?" he whispered to himself. I had never heard Tamaki-senpai swear before, even that mildly. I watched as he looked down at the catalogue again, this time with a blank expression on his face. His expression then rapidly transmogrified into one of anger as he took the catalogue in his hands and crumbled it up into a fury-induced ball. He knocked the ball off his desk and put his head in his hands, staring at the wall across from him with an illegible look. He then closed his eyes and looked as if he was meditating.

I didn't want to disturb his contemplation at such an important time, but I did have to get to the restaurant. My dad was probably wondering where I was. So, after hurriedly putting on my dress, I slowly stepped out of the changing room and hoped that I could run out the door before he opened his eyes again. I began tiptoeing in a hurried fashion across the floor and had placed my hand victoriously over the knob of the exit when I heard Tamaki-senpai's voice.

"H-Haruhi?"

My hope was shattered.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews, faves, alerts…and just for reading! I really appreciate it and hope you continue to read and review! ^.^

And here are the Ouran-related prizes for all my reviewers! *drum roll*

For Dear Lunacy: The real, original, custom-made Mad Hatter outfit that Tamaki himself wore!

For 1nk1n-p4rk-4-3v3r :A trip to Paris with France-experts Tamaki and Renge as your tour guides!

For AsumaKun9: A 5-foot-tall Usa-chan plushie and a 5-foot-tall Beary plushie!

For zeroworkethic: An all-expenses-paid two-week vacation to the Otori Beach Resort with two host club members of your choice!

For brokendream713: A pass to visit the host club every day for a year without having to pay!

For BakaMizutahaki: Kyoya's pineapple laptop!

I hope you all enjoy your prizes, and there will be more for all my reviewers of this new chapter! :D

CHAPTER FIVE:

"What…what are you doing here, Haruhi?"

I sighed, turned around, and faced the music. "I just came in here to change. My dad's waiting for me, and…"

"So, you heard everything, huh?" he asked, his voice low and quiet.

After a deep breath, I admitted, "Yes, I did." I quickly added, "I won't tell anyone though, if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm not worried about that. After what just happened, school gossip is the last thing on my mind." Tamaki-senpai looked back to the wall and continued to stare at it blankly, so I began to make my way out the door. I mean, if he had nothing else to say, what was I waiting around for?

"Haruhi, wait."

Damn. "Yes?"

"I know you don't mind getting attention from the ladies."

"And?"

"Well, that being true, have you ever actually…fancied a lady?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Not really, but then again, I've never really been in love with anyone before. Boy, girl…whatever. So, I'm not really the best person to turn to for any kind of romantic advice, if that's what you're getting at."

Tamaki-senpai blushed upon hearing the word 'romantic', no doubt embarrassed that advice needed about his best friend could actually fit under that umbrella term. When his face changed from cherry to pastel pink, he was able to talk again. "Haruhi, I know it's not exactly traditional for a father to come to his daughter for advice, especially of this nature…I mean, it really should be the other way around, but…"

My eyes narrowed and a sweat drop appeared on my hair. "Senpai, you're not my dad, so don't beat yourself up about it."

"In the past, I'd talk to Kyoya about these kinds of problems. It didn't happen often, of course; I rarely had actual problems in the romance department," he said, smiling slightly proudly. I rolled my eyes. "But anyway, if I ever did need advice, I'd turn to him, and he'd analyze my problem in that supremely logical way of his…" At this point, Tamaki-senpai's smile was one of…dare I say it…affection? "He'd listen to me complain for hours on end, only to solve my crisis in less than a minute." His eyes now were dancing with fondness and nostalgia, and he barely even seemed like he was talking to me anymore.

He then seemed to snap out of his trance and looked over to me, finally looking me in the eyes. "Um…but now I can't really talk to him, can I?"

"I don't mind if you talk to me about it, but does it have to be right now? I have to get to this restaurant to meet my dad, and…"

"How do you know if your feelings for someone go beyond friendship, Haruhi?"

Great. He hadn't heard a word I said. Or at least the ones that didn't pertain to him. "Uh…like I said, I've never been in love, so I wouldn't really know. I'd guess it's kind of like a gut feeling type of thing, though."

"A gut feeling?"

"Sure." I closed my eyes for a moment and smiled. "My dad and mom started out as friends. They were friends for two years before my dad finally realized it was something more than that. I used to ask him how he suddenly knew, after such a long time as friends, that it could be different. And he said that it had always been different. He said that he just loved her in a different way than he loved his other friends and family. He always had; it just took him a while to see that difference and to understand what it meant." I shrugged. "I guess it's different for everyone, but my guess is that it's something you just feel..."

Before I could finish, I heard a new but familiar voice ringing in my ears. "Oh, Haruhi, there are more precise ways of figuring something like this out!"

Both Tamaki-senpai and I turned to see Hikaru and Kaoru entering the room, arms around each other like usual. "Hikaru? Kaoru?" Tamaki-senpai asked, nervous. "What…?"

"We heard the whole thing, boss," Hikaru stated flatly.

"Yeah, we were listening from outside the door the entire time," finished Kaoru.

Tamaki-senpai suddenly leaped out of his chair, his eyes completely white and slanted, his mouth a humongous square with what appeared to be shark teeth inside it. "How could you, you unscrupulous bastards?! That was a private moment and you think it's perfectly okay to listen in?! What if something had happened after the…um…well, what if things had gone further? I bet you would have set up a video camera too! You make me sick, and I…"

"Hey, hey, wait! We didn't hear you get all upset at Haruhi when you found out _she_ was eavesdropping," Hikaru said in defense. He had a good point.

Tamaki-senpai began shaking his arms in the air and continued, in his enraged fashion, "That's different! Haruhi's my innocent little girl! She wouldn't ever _mean_ to eavesdrop; she was just getting changed, and she had no choice!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, she did have a choice when she read Kyoya-senpai's diary," Kaoru pointed out. He then looked to me devilishly. "Isn't that right, Haruhi?"

Tamaki-senpai turned white and looked at me. He blinked at me three times with blank, circular eyes. "Haruhi? Is that…is that true?" He then shook his head wildly and his color returned. "No, you'd never invade Mommy's privacy like that! That's just not you!" He turned back to the twins, quickly furious again. "How dare you spread lies about my Haruhi like that? I have half a mind to…"

"No, Senpai. It's true," I said quietly. "We all stole Kyoya-senpai's diary, and we were all reading it. I was left alone with it, and I read more, and I put it on your desk, and…I'm sorry. I already apologized to Kyoya-senpai, though, and we're fine…"

Tamaki-senpai stared at me, obviously shocked and disappointed, but luckily, Hikaru came to my rescue. "Boss, you should be happy. If we hadn't read that diary and if Haruhi hadn't put it on your desk, none of this would have happened."

"Why do you assume I'm happy about what happened?" Tamaki-senpai asked. "Maybe I wish I didn't find out how Kyoya felt about me."

Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged unsure looks. Kaoru began, "Well, do you wish that or not?" Hikaru finished, "We're not mind-readers, you know."

"The worst thing is…I can't even read my own mind," Tamaki-senpai moaned dramatically. The twins and I stared at him, all on the verge of laughing. All of us also knew it wasn't the wisest move at the moment, though, so we kept our lips sealed.

Kaoru soon shook his head as if annoyed. "Listen, boss, it's not that complicated."

Hikaru continued, "Yeah, Haruhi can go on about love being a gut feeling, but for someone as oblivious as you…well, I just don't think that's gonna help much."

Kaoru offered, "It'd probably take you years to figure out if what you're feeling is love if you're just basing it on your own introspection and instinct."

"But we're here to help!" the twins said in unison. Hikaru then snapped his fingers, and Kaoru swiftly extracted a magazine from his jacket. I tried to read the name of the magazine, but I couldn't. All I could see was that—whatever the title was—it was printed in bold, fuchsia bubble letters, and I knew it must have been one of those periodicals geared towards teenage girls. I wondered why Hikaru and Kaoru would subscribe to such a magazine, but then again, I spent my school days living as a boy. I of all people had no right to box things in according to gender.

Hikaru cleared his throat and smiled. "All right, boss. Are you ready for the first question to determine if you love Kyoya-senpai?"

Tamaki-senpai looked down, unsure. I swear I could hear his heart actually pounding inside his chest. He then took a hefty breath and looked back up. "I'm ready."

"Okay! The first question is…"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: 8 reviews within one day of posting! ^_^ That means you all get a new chapter today! *dances*

Thank you so much for the reviews and the reading! I know I say it every time, but I really, truly appreciate it. :D

And now for the next batch of Ouran prizes for my reviewers!

For l1nk1n-p4rk-4-3v3r: The privilege to be the host club's manager for a week, with the club members under your full control! ;)

Zeroworkethic: The key to the Hitachiin twins' bedroom, a key that has the ability to lock the door from the inside! ;)

TOYA and KYOYA: The humongous, framed photographs of each host club member that Tamaki had hanging in his room!

Kitsune Cupcake: A lifetime supply of cupcakes, baked from a special, extra-sweet recipe written by cupcake-expert Honey!

ELBwashere: The privilege to take any host of your choice to your next dance or social event!

Lauren: A mind-control device you can use to make Hatori end the manga with Tamaki, Haruhi, and Kyoya in a happy polygamous relationship. XD

RhythmStickLunatic: The carriage! The infamous carriage! Complete with every host club member inside and ready to take you for a ride!

Glostarz: A grand piano and a hired Tamaki to play for you whenever you please!

All right; I hope you all enjoyed your prizes! More to come for my reviewers of this new chapter! I hope you enjoy, read, and review. :D

CHAPTER SIX:

"The first question is…'How does your body react when you think of Kyoya-senpai'?"

Tamaki-senpai's face turned blood red and he reverted back to shaking his fists in the air at the twins. "What kind of question is that? That's disgusting! There's no way I'm answering that…"

"Hold it, hold it. We didn't mean it like _that_, Senpai," Hikaru assured. "We meant…sweaty palms, blushing, increased heart rate, you know…"

Kaoru added, "But the fact that your mind immediately jumped to that _other _conclusion is pretty interesting, boss."

"Yeah, I mean…if you didn't actually experience that other conclusion when thinking of Kyoya-senpai, you probably wouldn't immediately think about it upon hearing that question," Hikaru speculated with a sly grin on his face.

Tamaki-senpai shook his head wildly. "I only assumed that's what the question meant because…because, well…it's you shady twins asking me, so it's only reasonable to assume the question itself is shady too!"

Hikaru and Kaoru chuckled simultaneously. "Yeah, sure, boss. We believe you."

After letting out a low, resentful growl, Tamaki-senpai sighed and said, "Let's move on to the next question, please."

"Fine. Second question is…'Do you get jealous when you see him with other girls?'"

"'_Other_ girls'?"

"Hey, this is 'Little Miss Eighteen' magazine, so just bear with us, okay?" Hikaru sighed.

"All right," Tamaki-senpai conceded. "I've never really thought about it, but…well, I don't mind seeing him with our guests at the club, but when I see him talking to a girl outside of the club and he seems genuinely interested…"

"Yeah…?"

Tamaki-senpai hesitated, seemingly reminiscing, looking as if he was watching a home movie in his head that he was just now seeing for the first time. "Every time I've seen Kyoya talking to a girl outside of the club, I've invaded his space, interrupted his conversation, introduced myself to the girl, tried to charm her…"

"…anything to get her to stop talking to Kyoya-senpai," Kaoru finished, with his usual sense of arrogantly prideful wisdom in his voice. Hikaru nodded dramatically, putting his arm around his brother as if to congratulate him for his insight. It made me want to regurgitate the fancy tuna I finally got the opportunity to try earlier that day.

Leaning back in his chair, Tamaki-senpai looked contemplative. "Do you guys really think that's why I behaved the way I did? I always chocked it up to…healthy, buddy-buddy competition over girls. A natural inclination to best my bestie."

"'Best your bestie'? Oh, brother," the twins sighed in unison.

"But now that I think about it, every time, after the girl lost interest in Kyoya or he lost interest in her, I couldn't care less about her anymore. And it wasn't because I felt I had proven myself superior to Kyoya or anything. I recognize the feeling of competitive triumph, but what I felt was a different kind of triumph…or at least…I didn't feel like _Kyoya_ was the one I was competing with."

Hikaru and Kaoru began to appear bored with Tamaki-senpai's monologue, and they decided to recline on the couch. Hikaru lied down first, and Kaoru lied atop him, resting his coppery tresses on his brother's tanzanite jacket. Hikaru then snatched the magazine of Kaoru's hand and looked down onto its glossy pages with impatience. "How about we just finish the quiz, boss?"

"Wait…I'd like to talk about this…"

"It's boring, Senpai. Where's the juicy stuff?"

"I don't know, but I think this revelation about my jealousy…"

"No. You can overanalyze all your answers on your own time later. Let's move on to more interesting questions. Like…number three: 'If you've kissed the guy before, did you like it?'" Hikaru asked, grinning from ear to ear. I should have figured the twins would be excited about this whole situation with Tamaki-senpai and Kyoya-senpai in more ways than one.

Kaoru quickly jumped off the couch and approached Tamaki-senpai, putting his arm around his waist seductively. "We all know you kissed him tonight. So, what did you think? Did it turn you on?"

Hikaru soon mimicked his brother's actions on Tamaki-senpai's other side. He smiled and sang, "Did you kiss a boy and like it?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Ugh, shut up, guys. That song sucks."

Tamaki-senpai squirmed under the twins' embrace. "What's the next question?"

"What? You didn't even answer that one," the twins pouted.

"It's just…" Tamaki-senpai trailed off. "What's the next question?" he then asked again, more hurriedly and as if in a panic, before finally managing to free himself from the manacles that were the twins' long-fingered hands.

Kaoru sighed. "Boss, come on…!"

"No, Kaoru, wait. The next question is even better. Boss, 'do you have sexual fantasies about Kyoya-senpai? And if so, how often?'"

"It's none of your business!" Tamaki-senpai screamed immediately.

"What the hell? It's no fun if you keep your answers to yourself!"

I watched as Tamaki-senpai's knees seemed to literally collapse underneath him. He fell to the ground and wrapped his arms around his chest dramatically, looking up at the twins with water-veiled eyes. "Why shouldn't I keep answers to myself? When I actually give you an answer, you don't want to help me find out its meaning. You're only doing this for your own perverse enjoyment! You just want to watch me squirm and stutter some lurid, sexual confessions so you can have your little fun, not actually help me discover my true feelings!" By this point, Tamaki-senpai's tears had begun streaming down his face like rapid, curvy, miniature rivulets.

"We want to help! We just want to have fun while we do it," Hikaru protested. Kaoru added, "Is that really too much to ask?"

"Well, this is hard for me! My best friend just confessed his love for me, kissed me, came out to me, wants me to make a decision about our relationship…a decision that could change everything. So, this isn't all fun and games to me!" He paused, catching his breath. "But let's see, how can I make this fun for you?" he then asked with a scarily-uncharacteristic, sardonic edge in his voice.

Uh-oh. This could get ugly, I immediately thought.

He continued, "You want me to say, 'Oh, I get a massive erection every time I even hear Kyoya's name!'" Did I really just hear Tamaki-senpai…golden boy, innocent child, father figure…say the words 'massive erection'? I shuddered and hated the fact that I heard Tamaki-senpai continue his soliloquy, his voice becoming higher and higher pitched with each new sentence. "You want me to say, 'When Kyoya kissed me, I could barely control the butterflies that glissaded ferociously through my stomach; my lips and tongue and whole body begged for more, though my mind told me it was wrong!' You want me to say, 'Yes, I fantasize about having sex with Kyoya all the time! Every morning, every bathroom break, every night before I fall asleep! Fantasies that comprise material you could find in the _most_ tasteless pornography available!'"

Okay...at that point, I wasn't sure whether it was a laugh or my tuna that needed to escape from my stomach.

"Is all that true, boss?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked, their jade eyes wide with enthrallment.

Tamaki-senpai angrily spurted out a loud: "No! Of course it isn't true!" He sighed and put his hand to his forehead, increasingly annoyed. At that moment, he actually looked a bit like Kyoya-senpai. "Listen, this is all stupid! I'm not in love with Kyoya, and I don't need your help anymore. So, just take your filthy magazine and leave!"

I naturally expected to hear either the nasally, attitude-ridden voice of Hikaru or the velvety, understated voice of Kaoru next. But instead I heard the sharp yet silky, steady yet insecure voice of someone else. "So, that's your answer then. It's a 'no'."

We all turned towards the door to see Kyoya-senpai standing before us, adjusting his glasses as he looked to the ground. "All right. I expected as much," he said in a smooth, unaffected tone. If I had just arrived at the scene, I would never have been able to tell that Kyoya-senpai had just heard words that were likely going to break his heart, destroy his relationship with his best friend, and even change his life. No, he was ever the perfect picture of emotionless composure. "I had forgotten my briefcase here, but I suppose I'll come back for it at a later time. I probably should go."

And with that, Kyoya-senpai walked calmly and collectedly out the door. Only to begin running down the corridor as soon as he thought we couldn't see him. And after I peeked outside from the club room and watched Kyoya-senpai race down the empty hall until he really was out of sight, I noticed a small collection of puddles on the ground behind him, a glistening trail of tears leading right back here to the club room, to Tamaki-senpai, to the only one that could rectify this situation which seemed to grow more and more heartbreaking with each passing moment.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! As you should know by now, it means a lot to me! :D 11 reviews came in for chapter 6! That's a record for this story so far; thank you so much, everyone!! ^_^

And for this chapter's Ouran-related prizes:

For l1nk1n-p4rk-4-3v3r: A scholarship to attend Ouran Academy for your next year of school until you graduate!

For Kitsune Cupcake: A date with Honey to sample cakes at ten different bakeries!

For ShabalbaIggy: The real, original Beary and a costume version for you to fit in!

For zeroworkethic: A very…*ahem*…special DVD Hikaru, Kaoru, Kyoya, and Tamaki all made one summer night when all their free time away from school made them a little too bored…

For Elizibeth Snow: The chance to *be* Haruhi for a whole a week and all the *perks* that could come with it! ;)

For RhythmStickLunatic: The ability to tell the twins apart just by looking at them, even when their hair is parted the same! (Unless you already have this ability…;))

For JashinVampireLuna: The chance to spend Halloween with the host club, including all the vampire versions of the members themselves!

For ELBwashere: The chance to *be* Hikaru for a week and all the *perks* that come with that! ;)

For Melodie Lyric Jones: The chance to have Tamaki write and play a song on the piano specially for you!

For nejiXtenten4everz: One of Antoinette's (Tamaki's dog) newborn puppies! (I know you wanted to neuter Tamaki, but you could neuter this puppy instead!)

For Akitore: Footage I taped of Tamaki and Kyoya after the rest of the club went home one day. *warning* Tamaki is hornier than Kyoya in this footage! :-O

Haha, well, I hope you all enjoy your prizes!

More prizes to come for those who review the next chapter! It's kind of a short and uneventful chapter, but I wanted to give you guys something, and I hope you all still enjoy! =^.^=

CHAPTER SEVEN:

"Uh, boss?" the twins asked. The object of their incredulity was hunched over in the corner, his entire form its frequent hue of snow, his back turned to us.

"Aren't you going to go after him, Senpai?" I asked worriedly.

Tamaki-senpai turned his head around slightly, just long enough to get a glimpse of all of our concerned faces. He then sighed deeply and turned back to the wall, beginning to mindlessly draw circles on it with his finger. "What's the point?"

"What do you mean 'what's the point'? He's your best friend. Even if you don't return his romantic feelings, you at least owe him more than…well, this," I demanded. The twins nodded their heads in agreement. And unison, of course.

"But…but I wouldn't know what to say! I still don't know how I feel!" Tamaki-senpai exclaimed, jumping up from his corner and approaching us.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Just a couple minutes ago, you said you came to the conclusion that you _weren't_ in love with Kyoya-senpai. That's what Kyoya-senpai heard you say too, obviously. So if you were lying, you have all the more reason to clarify that for Kyoya-senpai."

Hikaru added the obvious: "Or else Kyoya-senpai's gonna think you really aren't in love with him, that there's no chance at all, and he's gonna be heart-broken."

"I know…but…maybe it is true. Maybe I wasn't lying. I'm still not sure," Tamaki-senpai said as three strands of his shiny, lemon-colored hair fell across his forehead and veiled his eyes in a very emo kind of way.

I sighed and glanced at my watch again. "Listen, if this is going to take the entire night, can I at least use your cell phone to call my dad, Senpai? He's gonna be really worried."

Tamaki-senpai once again ignored me and continued, "And if I tell him there is still a possibility for us, and then I end up realizing I don't return his feelings, then…well, his heart will be even more fragmented than if I had just left it alone! It would be as if I was dragging him along, playing games, giving him false hope only to break his heart all over again! I couldn't do that to him!"

"Senpai, I really think my dad…" I began again. Tamaki-senpai had by this point descended onto the floor yet again, still engulfed by his own speech as I groaned in exasperation. But then suddenly a thought occurred to me. Ever since I joined the host club, Tamaki-senpai had showered me with attention and affection, no matter how misguided or unwanted. It seemed that his focus was constantly on me, no matter if there was any good reason for it. He seemed mesmerized by every word I uttered, no matter how dull. But tonight…well, he had ignored me every time I began talking about something besides Kyoya-senpai.

"I think you already know how you feel, Senpai," I offered, interrupting him in the middle of some sentence that was beginning to bring tears to his eyes.

He then looked up at me with glossy eyes. "But I don't, Haruhi."

"I think you do. I think you know deep down but are too oblivious…or maybe just too scared…to recognize it," I said. "We all know you have a great deal of trouble turning all your perception on your own self. But is it because you are really a moron like we've all been thinking? Or is it because you're just a coward?"

All three boys stared at me. The twins appeared surprised and almost nervous, but then smirks slowly crept across their faces. I heard Hikaru whisper: "Ouch. That's gotta hurt." Kaoru giggled afterward.

And the laughter didn't end there. The next thing I knew, Tamaki-senpai was chuckling slightly, in that way he always did when he obviously hurt by someone's words. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh, Haruhi?"

"Not really," I replied honestly. "Kyoya-senpai was a coward too up until today. But at least he got over it; he was honest with himself and with you. And you know he has a lot more at stake than you do. His family's business, the respect he so obviously seeks from his father, from everyone around him. And you? You don't care about inheriting the Suoh empire; you don't care about Japanese society's expectations; you don't care what people think about you, Senpai. So what are you so scared of?"

Kaoru piped in: "I would say it has to do with the carriage…"

"God, not that again," Hikaru sighed.

"Wait, hear me out!" Kaoru protested. He then cleared his throat; I mentally prepared myself for a long speech. "Ahem. I _would _say it has to do with the carriage. Not wanting it to turn into a pumpkin and all that, keeping the family just the way it is…_but_ if the boss and Kyoya-senpai did get together, nothing would really change. We'd be the same family. I mean, in Tamaki-senpai's mind, he and Kyoya-senpai are already husband and wife…"

"That's true," Hikaru agreed. "Nothing would really change. Maybe the two would have to start some kind of new act for the guests. 'Opposites attract act' or something. I'm sure that'd be a big hit; we all know the ladies can't get enough guy-on-guy action. It might bring in even bigger profits than the 'Prince act' and 'Cool act' do separately." Hikaru paused, putting a finger to his chin contemplatively as if he was truly planning future changes to the club. He then snapped out of his digression and back to the topic at hand. "But anyway, a new act wouldn't change the dynamic of our family or anything."

"Listen, mes amies…" Tamaki-senpai began, slowly rising from the floor. "I truly appreciate all your help, your concern for me…I feel I've raised my children well and I'm so flattered that you all want to take after your father and be caring, benevolent creatures. But…I think this is something I have to figure out on my own."

At that, Tamaki-senpai looked down and began walking out of the club. "Wait, Senpai. Where are you going?" I asked. I figured maybe he could give me a ride to the restaurant on his way.

"Kyoya's place," he answered. "I have one of those 'gut feelings' you were talking about earlier, Haruhi. And my gut tells me that I have to find Kyoya. I may need to think all this through by myself, but the problem doesn't end there; it doesn't end with me. There's a whole other someone involved, and he's waiting for me to say something…"

"What is it you'll say when you see him, though?" I asked.

Tamaki-senpai paused; his eyes grew worried. "I honestly have no idea."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you all so much for all your support throughout the course of this story! You inspired me and motivated me every step of the way, and I'm so thankful! ^_^

As for Ouran-related prizes, every one of my reviewers gets an invitation to the "A Little Less Speculation, A Little More Action" after-party: a grandiose pool party hosted by me and the host club that features each host in swimsuits (of course), lots of great *expensive* food, and a formal dance held after the swimming takes place! :D

Well, this is the last chapter of the story! It's an extra-long one for you guys, and I hope you enjoy it!! 3

CHAPTER EIGHT:

When we arrived at Kyoya-senpai's manor, I was shivering under my thin, cotton dress, and it wasn't only because it was raining so hard outside that the streets began to resemble Venetian canals. It wasn't even because I was scared of the thunderstorm; the boys had already talked me through it when it started, and I knew that I had to be brave for Tamaki-senpai's sake...this was too important to him for me to let my fear ruin his chance. After all, Kyoya-senpai _did_ write that I always acted like the club was a burden, and I often did. But at least I didn't have to be a burden to them too.

Anyway, it was really Kyoya-senpai's manor itself that made me shiver. It was cold. Mysterious. Fear-inspiring. I almost felt sorry for Tamaki-senpai, having to walk into such a scary place and face its human counterpart.

Luckily for him, he didn't actually have to enter the mansion. After he stepped out of the limousine and rung the doorbell, a lady with stringy silver hair and kind chocolate eyes came to greet "Master Tamaki". She quickly informed him that Kyoya-senpai had not come home yet; the expression of desperate worry on Tamaki-senpai's face was enough to make my heart hurt a little bit. For a lot of different reasons, I guess.

He hurriedly made his way back to the limo and sat next to me in the backseat. Soaking, golden locks covered his eyes as the twins and I waited for a new game plan.

Finally, Hikaru asked the question that was on all of our minds. "Uh, boss? What are we gonna do now?"

Tamaki-senpai shook his head slightly, his wet hair splashing us with beads of water. He appeared deep in thought. For quite a while. For so long, in fact, that the twins actually fell asleep; Kaoru's head rested on Hikaru's chest as the latter snored with a volume nearly equal to that of the raging thunderstorm outside.

I must have dozed off for a while as well, because the next thing I knew, I found myself lying sandwiched between the twins, both of whom still appeared to be sleeping but now with creepy smiles on their faces. I hurriedly extracted myself from their perverted grasps and looked over to Tamaki-senpai, who still appeared contemplative.

And then—like a slice of sunlight piercing through stormy clouds—a smile slowly brightened his face. "Kyoya's not the only one with resources!" he exclaimed, waking the twins. "I could have the _Suoh_ private police send out a search party for him with one call! We could have them scour all of Japan if we have to!"

But we didn't have to. As soon as Tamaki-senpai's eyes really began to light up with that burning certainty and purpose that always scared the crap out of me, the twins pointed outside the mostly rain-veiled window. We all turned to see the ebony-haired boy who had started all this chaos in the first place, walking down the street and approaching his house.

Tamaki-senpai's eyes grew predictably larger at the sight and suddenly, he curled up into a ball, rocking himself back and forth.

"Senpai, stop being such a coward! Go talk to him!" I demanded.

"I'm scared!" cried the little baby.

I rolled my eyes. "You were willing to scour Japan to find him and yet now, when you actually have the chance to talk to him without any obstacle or hassle at all, you won't even do it?"

"That's just the thing, Haruhi. Kyoya-senpai's right here in front of him now. There's no good excuse not to talk to him; that means this is real and it's happening. No stalling, no more time to think. I'd say that's pretty scary," Kaoru said softly.

I sighed. "I guess, but…Senpai, I just think…" I turned to Tamaki-senpai, prepared to give another elaborate speech chock full of advice, but it turns out I didn't have to. Gone from the seat next to me was the blond-haired boy. Out the window, we saw him running towards Kyoya-senpai just as the latter began to turn his key in the lock of the front door.

"Kyoya!" he shouted.

Hikaru quickly rolled down the window. "We gotta hear this," he said, smirking.

"Guys, that's eavesdropping!" I cried.

"Your favorite pastime, right, Haruhi?" the twins asked.

I felt a rather large sweat drop find a home on my forehead. "I guess you're right. Who am I to preach? But it still seems…"

The twins then put their hands over my mouth and I could do nothing but watch the scene unfold.

Kyoya-senpai turned to Tamaki-senpai, obviously surprised. It was rare to see Kyoya-senpai look truly shocked, but this was a warranted occasion. "Tamaki…" he gasped. He then cleared his throat and tried to appear composed. "What are you doing here?"

Stopping to catch his breath, Tamaki-senpai looked down at Kyoya-senpai. "Well, I…" He took another deep breath as he looked away. "I…um…well…"

Kyoya-senpai looked up, expectantly, hanging on his every word.

Hikaru whispered, "Oh, God, the boss is a nervous wreck." Kaoru added, "He better come up with something quick. Kyoya-senpai's not really the patient type."

Tamaki-senpai then finally looked back into Kyoya-senpai's eyes. "I came because…" The twins and I all leaned forward anxiously. "I came because I forgot to give you your notebook back."

I looked to the twins, who both wore as shocked and disappointed expressions as I'm sure I was wearing. "He didn't really just say that, did he?"

Of course, Kyoya-senpai was the most shocked of us all. "Oh," he uttered.

"Well, I just thought…it's your diary! You probably need it or at least would want it back, and it also has a lot of the club's records and plans in it, and you'll definitely be in need of those in the future, and…" Tamaki-senpai babbled. He then stopped, smiled obliviously, and handed Kyoya-senpai the coveted diary.

Kyoya-senpai pushed his glasses up, probably wishing it was sunny outside so the light could hit his glasses and hide the emotions his eyes displayed. "Well, thank you, Tamaki. That was…considerate of you."

"Anytime!"

The two stood there in silence for a few long moments. I suddenly smelled popcorn and saw that somehow, out of nowhere, Hikaru and Kaoru had gotten a hold of a bag of movie-style popcorn and were stuffing their faces with the buttery, airy food. I decided to reach my hand in the bag as well; I was already an hour late to the restaurant, and I was starting to get hungry.

"Well, aren't you gonna open it?" Tamaki-senpai asked, eyeing the journal keenly.

"Why would I do that?"

"Just to make sure it's all intact, I guess."

Kyoya-senpai scoffed. "If I open it to make sure it's intact, the rain will undoubtedly ruin its pages. It's completely counterintuitive."

"Just like loving me, huh?"

Heartbeat. "What?"

"Loving me. It's in direct opposition with everything that's important to you. But you still do it," Tamaki-senpai offered. "Because sometimes we have to trust our gut feelings; sometimes things aren't rational; sometimes things can't be analyzed. Love and logic rarely walk hand in hand, and sometimes…well, we just have to learn to open our minds to our hearts."

"Tamaki…what? What are you trying to say?"

Tamaki-senpai smiled friendlily. "I just have a gut feeling you should open your notebook to make sure it's all intact; that's all!"

Eyeing both Tamaki-senpai and the notebook suspiciously, Kyoya-senpai slowly opened the latter. His eyes widened at what he saw. I think Tamaki-senpai knew the two of them had an audience, so he suggested, "Maybe you could read it aloud, just to make sure you're reading it right."

Hikaru whispered, "He wrote something in the notebook? When did he do that?"

"Probably when we were sleeping or when you two were practicing becoming world-class perverts," I offered, eyes narrowed.

Kyoya-senpai cleared his throat. Sounded like there was quite a lump in it. "'Kyoya, when I first met you, I immediately felt something in my gut. Something I had felt many times before, something akin to shallow physical attraction. But I didn't know about that bisexuality thing you told me about today, so I just brushed it off and tried not to think about it. But as we got to know each other, that gut feeling changed to a different type. One that I couldn't label. I really had no clue what it was and why it was there.

I speculated that I only felt it because you were so intelligent and efficient and so good at whatever you set your mind to. I thought it must have just been admiration I felt. I mean, I _am_ brilliant, of course, but you were the only peer I've ever met who was actually smarter than me. And I figured that that feeling in my gut was just one of wishing I had the traits that you had.

But then I was proven wrong again…we got even closer and I quickly saw that you were more than just calculations and efficiency and talent. I saw the kindness in you, the tenderness, the warmth…things you tried to hide from everyone else. And then I knew that that gut feeling couldn't be one merely of admiration because those traits were ones I had always considered myself the absolute king of. So, I thought…maybe it was just…well, an appreciation and respect for you as a person.

Then again, I realized that it wasn't just your character traits I appreciated. It was just spending time with you. It made me so happy. You always made me feel so good about myself; even when you acted like I was an idiot or an annoyance, I knew you really loved spending time with me as much as I loved spending time with you.

So, I thought that the feeling was just one of a deep, loving friendship. At that point, I felt satisfied with my conclusion. I mean, what else could the feeling mean? What else could you and I possibly be besides the best of friends? I decided that was all it could mean, and I was content with this label for quite some time.

And then, well, then you kissed me. And that first feeling I had towards you, the physical one…it came back with a vengeance. It had never truly gone away, but I had successfully ignored it for a long while, and then you had to go and kiss me, bring back all my confusion, all the stuff I thought I had put behind me. Not only did you kiss me but you taught me that liking girls doesn't prevent someone from liking guys the same way. I have to admit, that idea made me terrified and relieved at the same time.

Terrified because…I had no excuse left; I had to confront the one speculation I had always kept out of my mind. The possibility that I loved you as more than a friend. Relieved because…well, it explained a lot. It made me feel like my feelings for you and my feelings for girls weren't so irreconcilable.

Kyoya, since the day we met, my feelings for you have confused me to no end. But tonight, I realized something. I've been physically attracted to quite a lot of people in my life. I've admired plenty. There are those special people I know that have an abundance of traits that I can appreciate and respect. And while you're the only friend I've ever shared a deep connection and understanding with, I still have several close friends whom I care about deeply and who care about me the same way. But there's only one person who fits into every single one of those categories, and that's you.

And I guess that's when I realized what that gut feeling was, what it had always been. Haruhi told me that her dad didn't realize that his feelings for his future-wife could suddenly be different, but that it had always been different. And that's how it has always been with you. This highly different, unique feeling that I couldn't make sense of. But now I know it's love. It's the only logical solution to a complicated problem.

I guess sometimes love and logic can walk hand in hand.

But I guess I was scared to admit it because I could only speculate on potential problems if I did. Everything with your father and the business, with our peers, with our friendship. But then I started speculating on all the good that could come out of it. Endless joyful days filled with love and companionship and true understanding and…well, a few other perks.

Thinking about all the great experiences we could be sharing as soon as I admitted to myself and to you how I felt, well…I decided I was ready for a little less speculation, a little more action. I'm ready to move forward, Kyoya. I love you, and now I'm ready to take the necessary action so I can see all my wonderful speculations come true."

After reading the last word, Kyoya-senpai slowly closed the notebook, held it firmly in one hand, and looked up at Tamaki-senpai with tear-filled eyes. Hikaru and Kaoru were already sobbing madly into tissues; I half-feared they'd turn the back of the limo into a swimming pool.

Kyoya-senpai didn't speak a word as he reached out with the other hand and innocently linked his fingers with Tamaki-senpai's. The two shared a smile of tacit understanding and love, and everyone could see that nothing needed to be said.

And at that point, I knew two things for certain: 1.) Tamaki-senpai and Kyoya-senpai were two of the bravest people I knew. 2.) I was so happy that I had played a part in bringing them together.

Kyoya-senpai then unlocked the door to his house and began leading Tamaki-senpai upstairs.

And then I had to add a third thing to my list. 3.) I would really never make it to the restaurant.

~THE END~

A/N: Thank you all again so much for the reading and reviewing! I really hope you enjoyed the story, and please review to tell me how you liked the ending! :D Also, if you're interested in more Tamaki/Kyoya fics (and other Ouran fics about different pairings, also probably a few "Fruits Basket" fics), add me to your author alert and I'll be sure to produce a lot more fics! I already have a lot planned, including a new multi-chapter one that I'm going to start really soon!

*bows* Thank you, and I hope to see you all again soon!


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